


Tiger Beetle

by orphan_account



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: Multi, eyeless jack has a human form, mentioned slenderman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24300832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Eyeless Jack, wanting a change in scenery and maybe to feel a little human again, moves into an apartment complex. Won't a grey-skinned masked man seem a little suspicious though? It's ok because he has a human form, I guess??This fic will be more on the softer side of things.[This is also being updated on my quotev acc @Monicmoonstone]
Relationships: Eyeless Jack/Reader
Kudos: 31





	1. Quick A/N

Here’s just some information about the story before you dive in.

  * I literally created the plot from a daydream that lasted about 3 days
    * That being said, the reader is based on an idealised but still a realistic version of myself
    * Also, I was listening to a playlist I created called ‘ _be like that, softy’_ so each chapter will be named after a song from that playlist mostly because these songs heavily influenced what kind of daydream I had
  * The reader will be gender-neutral and use they/them pronouns
  * Eyeless Jack has a human form and in this form, he’s completely blind
    * If you’re blind and listening/reading to this and find something I’ve written incorrect, please let me know and I’ll fix it
  * The title of this fanfic is based on a beetle that runs so fast when it’s chasing its prey that they can’t see and I thought ‘mm, eyeless jack’



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This artwork belongs to me, do not repost without permission.


	2. Oh Klahoma [Prologue]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter goes straight into EJ dissecting a body  
> And this chapter's title is named after the song Oh Klahoma by Jack Stauber

Jack pressed the scalpel’s blade right below the sternum and dragged it down to the belly button, blood oozing from the incision. He dug his fingers into the cut, taking a hold of each side before pulling the skin apart, making a ripping noise. He pulled organs one by one from the corpse and stored them in a cooler. When he finished, he quickly wiped off his surgical instruments and pulled off his gloves. He looked back at the hollowed body and wrinkled his nose. He grabbed the cooler and snuck out of the house.

He moved as fast as he could carrying the heavy cooler. He made it a few blocks before placing the cooler down and huffed. 

‘I’m not going to make it back to the cabin at this rate,’ he thought to himself as he listened to the quiet neighbourhood. 

He stretched out his muscles and thought of places he could hide or stash away his cooler before the sun began to rise. 

Jack caught a whiff of cigarette smoke floating through the air. 

‘I guess I could go to Hoodie and Masky’s place. I don’t think they’ll mind’ 

He picked up the cooler and started making his way to their place. 

  
  


Masky was smoking on the front porch when he saw a familiar figure carrying a blue cooler making their way to his home. Masky stood up and blew smoke out of his nose as Jack approached. 

He didn’t say a word as he opened the door for Jack and followed him inside. 

Jack placed the cooler on the floor with a heavy thump, panting. 

“Rough night?” Masky asked as he put out his cigarette. 

Jack shook his head. “No, just as uneventful as ever.”

He straightened out his back and turned his head slightly to let Masky know he was engaged in their conversation. 

“Wish my cabin wasn’t so far away from civilization though.” 

Masky nodded. “Yeah, must be difficult.” He stepped closer to Jack. “I’ll get the couch ready for you. You know where the fridge is right?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

Jack bent down to pick up his cooler when he heard Masky walk away and he made his way effortlessly to the kitchen. He placed his hand on the cool fridge surface before opening it and placing the bagged organs inside. 

He closed the fridge and listened to the rhythmic thumping of Masky’s feet against the floor. “The couch is ready!” Masky called, making his way towards Jack.

Jack tapped his claws against the steel and moved towards the couch with a huff. 

Masky tilted his head and followed Jack to the couch. He could tell he was upset by the way the tip of his tail twitched. Jack may like to keep his emotions to himself, but his tail always betrays him when he’s around other people. 

Masky sat beside Jack and waited patiently for him to say anything. It really wasn’t his business so if he didn’t want talk, he understood. 

Jack plopped down on the couch and sighed. The two of them sat there in silence for a few minutes before Jack decided to speak. 

“Do you like…” he paused, trying to find the words. “Do you like your job?”

Masky thought about it for a moment before running his fingers through his hair. “I’m guessing you mean working under The Operator- er, Slenderman or whatever you call it.”

Jack nodded. 

“It’s… alright.” He let out a sigh. “Most of the time I blackout and I can’t remember anything afterwards,” Masky continued, looking down at his shaking hands. He clenched them and then placed them under his butt so he couldn’t see them. 

“Why do you ask?”

Jack turned his head towards Masky. “If you want me to be completely honest, I… I don’t like eating human organs,” he told him. Masky hummed in response, waiting for Jack to continue. 

“I hate it,” he snapped, “I hate being a monster, I hate having to eat human organs and- and I hate having to carry a big ass cooler around so I don’t have to kill someone for a few days.” Jack released his grip on his legs, realising he was drawing blood. 

Masky watched as Jack tried to calm himself, taking deep breaths and rolling his shoulders back. His tail tip would still twitch every once in a while. 

“That must be tough,” he responded, doing his best to be supportive. 

Jack sighed and nodded. “I’m going to bed.” Jack laid down and made himself comfortable. Masky got up. “Night. I’ll be in my room.”

Jack only hummed in response.


	3. Don't Stop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is named after the song Don't Stop (Color On The Walls) by Foster The People

You grabbed your leather jacket from the back of the chair and put it on. “I’m taking a walk in the woods,” you called out to your roommate.

“Ok! Be careful,” they shouted back.

You grab your keys, wallet, and phone. “I will, thanks!”

You make your way to the woods near your apartment and walk on the marked path, looking at the flora and fauna around you. Sometimes you’d even stop and sit on a log or rock to sketch out the scenery. 

It was around noon when you decided to make your way back to the apartment. You didn’t leave without a few trinkets of course! 

You had collected a few flowers, which you pressed in your sketchbook, leaves, sticks, rocks, and animal bones. 

You arrived at the apartment complex with no trouble and when you grabbed your keys you couldn’t help but eavesdrop when you noticed a small group looking at the apartment near yours. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” The one who spoke was the tallest of the three. He was dark-skinned and held a white cane.

“I’m sure! Plus, this place is cheap so if you ever need help with rent, we can help,” A white man with really nice sideburns and wore a red flannel shirt spoke.

“Ok… though I don’t feel comfortable living on my own like this.”

The other hummed and pulled out his phone. “Brian and I can come over whenever you need- hey do you have our phone number?”

The tall one shook their head and pulled out his phone. When the phone turned on, there was audio that helped guide him to the app he wanted to get to.

You glanced over to notice the 3rd person silently watching you. His blue eyes narrowed when you met his gaze. Deciding it was probably best for you to mind your own business, you slipped into your apartment. 

“I’m back!” You called out as you placed your bag on the couch. Your dog happily made its way over to you, demanding pats, which you gladly supplied. Your roommate, Joe, exited their room and smiled at you. “What did you find this time?”

You zipped open your backpack and pulled out your sketchbook. You skimmed through the pages, stopping to where you had the flowers and leaves. “Look!”

Joe smiled at the pressed flowers. “Wow, these look really good!” 

You gave them a big smile before digging into your bag and pulling out the sticks and rocks you found. 

Joe let out a chuckle as you enthusiastically talked about how pretty the rocks were and the nice texture of the sticks you found. After showing off the animal bones, you went to clean them off and wash your hands. 

“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you, I think we’ll be having a new neighbour soon,” you mentioned.

Joe hummed as they grabbed their guitar and started tuning it. “I hope they're not loud.” You let out a laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think this apartment complex can handle two loud neighbours.”

“Speaking of loud.” Joe played a few notes on their guitar. “Wanna jam?” You smile and grab your violin. “You bet!” The two of you spent most of the day playing your instruments and learning a few new songs.


	4. Lemon Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is named after the song Lemon Boy by Cavetown

You sat on the couch with your head on your roommate’s lap. “Should we like… bake something for our neighbour? Maybe introduce ourselves?” You asked.

Joe shrugged. “Can you bake?”

“All I know how to bake is apple pie.” 

You pulled out your phone and pulled up an apple pie recipe. “Let’s hope they like apple pie,” you say as you get up and make sure you have all the ingredients you need. You placed your ingredients on the counter. Thank god you had everything you needed because you were not in the mood to go out again.

Joe watched as you peeled and sliced the apples. “So… what do you think our new neighbour is like?”

You shrug as you placed the naked apple slices into a bowl. “I hope they're nice.”

“And doesn’t complain about your scratchy violin playing,” Joe commented as they stole an apple.

“Hey! My _violining_ is only scratchy when I don’t know the song.”

“Mm. Sure.” 

You moved on to measuring the spices. After the incident last year, you paid extra attention to the measurements. Joe closed their eyes and stretched out. 

“I’ll be in my room if you need me,” they said before snatching another apple slice. “Hey!”

Joe gave you a grin before taking a bite out of the apple and slipping into their room. 

You let out a sigh and poured lemon juice on top of the naked apple slices and tossed them. When you decided you’ve tossed them enough, you grabbed a circular glass pan and placed the pie crust inside, not without eating some of the crust of course. 

You poured the apples into the crust and then coated the apples with the sugar and spice. 

You stared at the apples, trying to remember what to do next. _‘I should beat the egg whites, right? Oh wait,I still need to preheat the oven.’_

You walked over to the oven and went to go preheat it before heading over to the egg you had out. 

  
  


The smell of apple pie wafted through the air of the apartment. Your dog danced around you as you placed the pie on the counter to cool.

“This isn’t for you,” you said to your dog as you bent down to give her a pat on the head. Not understanding what you said, she continued to wag her tail and circle you happily.

You heard the footsteps of your roommate coming towards you and you looked up to smile at them. 

“Wow, that smells really good.”

You squinted your eyes as you gave them a proud smile.

Joe sat near the pie and looked at it. “Do you think our neighbour will mind if we tasted a little piece? Ya know, to make sure it’s not poisoned.”

“I think they’ll notice.”

“But what if we took a tiny piece.” Joe pinched the air. “Just this much? A _little_ crumb?”

“We aren’t going to eat the pie!” You paused to think. “But! I could try to bake a peach pie for you!”

“Have you ever tried baking peach pie?”

“No.”

“Then you might as well poison me.”

“What!?”

“You said it yourself, the 1st time you try baking something new you always mess it up.”

“But making mistakes is learning.”

“Yeah and I don’t want to be your test subject.”

You rolled your eyes and started to look up peach pie recipes.

  
  


You touched the top of the pie to test the temperature. Deciding it wasn’t too hot, you nudged your roommate and picked up the pie. 

“Let’s go introduce ourselves,” you said as you made your way towards the door and slipped on your shoes, not even making sure they were on all the way. Joe nodded and ran their fingers through their bleached hair before putting on their shoes as well.

Joe opened the door for you and you stepped out and looked at the apartment doors. 

“Do you remember which apartment they moved into?” Joe asked in a teasing tone.

“Uhhh.” _Shit._ Why did they have to say that? I was sure it was this apartment, but what if- no I’m sure it’s this one. 

“Uhm, yeah,” was all you said as you started walking to the apartment two doors down from the one in front of yours. You lifted your knuckles to knock when the door to the left opened to reveal your new neighbour. Your eyes widened and your face heated up realising you were so close to embarrassing yourself.

“Uh- hey!” You called out.

The tall man tensed and turned his head towards you and Joe.

The two of you went over to him. “So… we’re your neighbours from a couple doors down and we wanted to, uh, welcome you.”

Your neighbour tilted his head and blinked. “Oh, uh, thanks.” Was all he said.

The two of you stood there awkwardly before Joe decided to speak up.

“I’m Joe, and my roommate here is (Y/N).”

“I’m Jack.”

“Uhm, well,” you spoke up as you lifted the pie, “we baked an apple pie for you.”

“Oh.” 

You gave Jack an awkward smile. “Well, uh, here.” You lifted the pie closer to Jack. He blinked again and held his hands out for you to place the pie in. You gave the pie to him and smiled. 

“I hope you like it.”

Jack only hummed.

“Well, it was nice to meet you,” Joe spoke up, pulling on your arm. “We have some important stuff to do so…”

“Hopefully we can talk again sometime!” You spoke up.

Jack hummed again and gave the two of you a nod. “Bye.”

As the two of you went back to your apartment, you turned your head to see Jack use his body to push open his door and bring the pie inside. 

You entered your apartment and kicked off your shoes.

“You really need to work on your conversation skills,” Joe commented.

You let out a stressed laugh. “People are scary.”

Joe shrugged. “Yeah, but you shouldn’t let them know that.”

You sigh and make your way to your room. “I think that’s enough socialising for today.”

Joe nodded. “Goodnight then?”

You shrug. “Probably.”

You close the bedroom door behind you and slip into your bed before spending the rest of the afternoon on your phone.

  
  


You didn’t see Jack for almost a week before you interacted with him again. That night, you were walking your dog, the only source of light was the moon and the lamps. Your dog eagerly sniffed at the ground as you looked around warily. You weren’t necessarily scared of the dark, no it was what could be lurking in it that scared you. 

You heard a bump and turned your head to see Jack wheeling a cooler around. Making sure your dog was ready to walk, you made your way over to Jack. 

“Oh, hey!” You called out.

Jack froze.

You stopped, noticing his discomfort. “Uh, sorry if I startled you.” 

Jack’s grip on the handle tightened as he turned his head towards you. “No, it’s fine.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I’m kinda busy, so…”

“Oh, sorry. I just wanted to know if you were done with the pie, because I kinda need the pan back- but it's ok if you’re not finished with it! I mean- I don’t need it _right now_.”

“Oh, the pie…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I can give you the pan back.”

“Oh cool! Do you want me to follow you to your apartment?”

Jack’s eyebrows shot up. “No, no. I mean, it’s kinda late. Shouldn’t you be sleeping or something?”

You let out a chuckle. “Sometimes your dog wants to go to the bathroom early in the morning,” you joked.

“Mmm.”

The both of you made your way to your apartments. You placed your hand on the doorknob before turning towards Jack. “Bye.”

He gave you a nod and entered his apartment, closing the door behind him. He let out a sigh as he dragged the cooler to his fridge and pulled out the apple pie and replaced it with the newly acquired organs. 

He uncovered the plastic wrapping that covered the pie and gave it a sour expression. Only a quarter of the pie had been eaten. 

Masky and Hoodie had stopped by once that week to ‘check on’ Jack but really they were using his apartment like he had with their home, a place to crash when a mission was too far away. 

Since the pie was the only edible thing in his apartment, they helped themselves to a piece. 

Jack placed the pie down and grabbed his phone to dial Masky’s phone number. He pulled out a chair to sit on as he waited for the masked or possibly unmasked man to answer his phone. 

“Hello?”

“Do you want the rest of this pie?”

There was a pause. “Didn’t you get that pie a week ago?”

“Almost, yeah.”

“I don’t know how long pies are good for, but you should probably throw it out.”

“Ah.”

He hung up on Masky and dumped the rest of the pie into the trash. He felt bad for not eating any of it, but there was nothing he could do now. 


	5. Youth

Jack closed the door behind him as he made his way towards your apartment. He lifted his knuckle to the door and-  **SKREEEEEE!**

Jack cringed at the horrible scratching noise. Before the violinist could continue playing, he banged on the door. He listened to the sound of feet shuffling his way and then the door opening. 

“Oh hey!” Joe exclaimed.

Jack gave him a small smile. “Hey, uhm.” He lifted up the freshly cleaned pan.

“Awesome!” Joe took the pan. “I should thank you, but [Y/N] is planning to poison me with their new baking experiment.”

“I am not!” Jack heard from farther within the apartment.

Joe laughed and let out a grunt as you playfully jabbed them in the side.

Jack raised his eyebrows. “Poison?” 

You glared at Joe before responding, “they’re just joking.” You gave Jack a smile. “Thanks for the pan. Would you like to stay and listen to us play? We’re working on a new song and having a new set of ears would be nice.” 

Jack’s eyebrows furrowed, remembering the violin noise he heard not long ago. 

“I think I’ll pass…”

“That’s understandable.” You shrugged and stuck the pan under your arm. “Well, goodnight then!”

Jack lifted his hand in a small wave. “Goodnight.”

You took a step back as Joe closed the door. You made your way to your violin and picked it up.

“He probably heard your violin scratching and thought that’s how you play.”

Your eyes widened as you gasped. “Oh noooo!”

Joe covered their mouth as they tried not to cackle.

  
  
  


It wasn't even a few days later when Masky and Hoodie decided to crash at Jack's apartment again. 

"There's literally nothing in here," Masky commented before closing the fridge door. "Other than organs."

Jack took an earbud out of his ear. "Bring your own food next time." 

Masky grumbled and walked over to Hoodie, he stood there watching him for a second, noticing the rise and fall of his chest and the peaceful look on his face. 

"He's asleep," Jack told Masky. 

"Yeah, I can see that."

He turned his head to face Jack before making his way towards him.

"Hey, get up." He slapped Jack's knee. 

Jack turned his head in Masky's general direction. "Hm. What?" 

"Let's go to the store." 

"Wh- no? I don't need to go to the store." 

"I know  _ you _ don't, but it would be nice if you at least had snacks here." 

"Ok? Can't you go get them by yourself?" 

"Yeah, I  _ could _ , but you need to go outside and get some fresh air." 

Jack lifted an eyebrow. "I need to go out-" He just let out an exasperated sigh.

Masky sighed. "C'mon, I just need someone to come with me. I'll even let you stay in the car so you can continue listening to your book." 

Jack let out a grumble before getting up. "Fine."

He stuck his phone into his pocket and grabbed his cane before making his way towards the door. 

Masky took in a deep breath as Jack locked the door behind them. "Why are you acting like you haven't left a room in days," Jack asked. 

Masky shrugged. "I don't know, I just feel good for once." 

"Must be nice." 

The muffled sound of a violin traveled through the hallway. Masky turned his head slightly to the side, curious to know where the sound was coming from before it abruptly stopped and the door to your apartment opened up. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Joe shouted back as they closed the apartment door. Their eyes instantly landing on Jack. "Oh, hey! New neighbour!"

Jack stopped and turned his head towards Joe. "Hm?"

"Soo, my roommate and I were wondering if you wanted to come to one of our concerts."

"You must be really in need of an audience if you're asking me," Jack replied, “seeing how we've only interacted two times now."

Joe gave Jack a nervous laugh as they rubbed the back of their head. "Yeah..."

Masky asked, "what kind of genre of music does your band play?"

"Something along the lines of rock."

"Sounds cool."

Joe pulled out a flyer and handed it to Masky. "Just in case you're interested."

Masky took a look at the flyer before pocketing it. "I'll have to see what my schedule is like, but I'll swing by if I can."

Joe's face lit up. "Awesome!" They then looked at Jack. "Do you think you'll be able to come?"

Jack shrugged. "I'll also have to see what my schedule's like."

Joe smiled happily at the two of them before waving good-bye. "Hopefully you two aren't too busy!" They commented before making their way to the parking lot.

Masky rested his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Let's go."

Jack nodded and the two of them started walking towards Masky’s car.

"Are you really thinking about going to their concert?"

Masky shrugged. "Why not?"

Jack shrugged. "Just assumed you didn't have time to do... 'normal' stuff."

Masky chuckled as he opened the passenger door for Jack before making his way to the driver's seat.

"I think if I didn't do 'normal' stuff, I'd go insane." 

  
  
  


It was the night of the concert and you were stuffing all your papers into your bag. You looked at your bag and violin in front of you, trying to remember if you forgot anything. 

"I have my violin... I have my songs... Siv is bringing the microphones..."

Joe swung the guitar on their back. "Got everything?"

You nod. "I think so."

You grabbed your backpack and violin before heading to Joe's car.

The car ride wasn't long, though you spaced out for a good portion of it. 

You and your bandmates took the time to set up the stage, before practicing before the show. 

You rubbed your sweaty hands on your pant legs and peaked out behind the curtain. There weren't a lot of people, just friends and families of yours and your bandmates. 

"You ready?" Siv asked.

You gave her a nervous smile. "Not really..."

She gave you a reassuring smile before patting you on the back. "You're going to do great out there."

You nodded and watched her go and give your other bandmates words of encouragement. "I sure hope so," you murmured to yourself.

  
  


You don't remember much of what happened that night. You were so nervous you ended up running on autopilot as you spaced out. 

You blinked back into reality as the small crowd in front of you cheered.

You gave the crowd a smile as Rory, the lead singer, thanked them for coming. 

You all made your way backstage and chattered excitedly. 

"See! I knew you all would do wonderfully," Siv said before giving all of you a kiss on the cheek.

You smiled at your friends. "Shall we go and talk to our dear fans?" 

Siv laughed. "Sounds good."

You once you made your way to the lobby of the building, you all were swarmed by your friends.

"... oh thanks!"

"... I mean, if you really want one."

"... Just lots of practice... I guess."

"... I don't know, just thought it sounded nice."

You gave your parents an awkward smile as they insisted on getting a picture with you. They told you to stand against the wall as one of your friends took the picture. Getting your picture taken made you uncomfortable, so you got out of there as soon as you saw an opening. 

You walked over to a water fountain to get some fresh air. Thankfully the crowd was thinning out, which meant you could go home soon. 

"[Y/N], was it?"

You looked up to see the flannel guy with his arm intertwined with Jack's. 

"Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Tim."

You gave him a friendly smile and nod. "Hi."

"I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your guy's performance. The violin mixed in with the other instruments was very unique."

You felt your face heat up at the compliment. "Ah, I'm glad you liked it."

Tim gave you a friendly smile. "You know, I play the ukulele-" "Oh here we go again."

Tim gave Jack a quick glare. "Anyways- I play the ukulele and I was wondering if you or your friend Joe- or maybe even both of you were interested in helping my friend and I create a video?"

You thought about it for a second before responding, "I'll have to see what my schedule is like."

"Oh yeah, that's totally understandable, my friend and I are also very busy." He pulled out a piece of paper. "I'll give you a call and let you know the next time we’re free."

You took the paper once it was handed to you and started putting the contact in your phone. "Ok, cool! I'll let you know what Joe thinks when I talk to them." You text ‘hi’ to Tim so he could also put your number into his phone without you having to write it out for him.

Tim nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He looked at Jack. "Ready to go?"

"Hold on," he told Tim before facing you. "I like your band. The music sounded nice."

You smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

Jack fidgeted slightly. "Uh, well... Good night."

You watched as the two of them leave before you put Tim's phone number into your pocket. Almost everyone was gone so you decided to make your way backstage to help pack everything up. 

"Did Jack's friend, Tim, talk to you about helping him with a video?" Joe asked you.

"Yeah, I was actually going to ask you about that."

"Oh ok, well, I actually told him that I wasn't going to do it unless we were paid."

"Oh. Not gonna lie, I automatically assumed we were going to be paid."

Joe sighed and tapped their temple. "What would you do without my pretty brain?"

You shrugged. "Not have your pretty brain?"

The two of you stared at each other before laughing uncontrollably.

You wiped a tear from your eye before grabbing your backpack and violin.

"You ready?" They asked you.

"Yep!"

The two of you waved at your bandmates before leaving the building. You didn't make it home until early morning. Thankfully, you didn't have anything important to do tomorrow so sleeping in wasn't a problem.


	6. Ghost Duet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is named after the song Ghost Duet by Louie Zong

You knocked on Jack's door. Damn, how long has it been since you last saw him? It had to be almost a month or two. 

The door was unlocked and opened to reveal Jack at the door.

"Hello?"

"It's me, [Y/N]."

"Oh!"

He opened the door wider and moved to the side to let you in. 

You gave him a polite smile. "Thanks."

Jack only nodded before closing the door behind you and locking it.

"Hey, [Y/N]!"

You turn your head and spot Tim and his friend on the floor. Tim was tuning his ukulele while his friend was messing with a handheld camera.

You made your way over to them and sat down.

"You got my text, right?" You asked.

Tim nodded. "Yeah, it's a shame Joe couldn't make it."

You shrugged. “Yeah, but a broke college student needs to get their money somehow.” You started getting out your violin. 

“Yeah,” He breathed out before asking, "oh! Have you met Brian yet?"

You looked up at Tim and then at his friend. He was the same person who was staring at you when Jack was first moving in. "I've seen him once."

Brian nodded at you before holding up the camera. "Let me know when you’re ready."

You grabbed your phone and pulled up the song that Tim had sent to you earlier before placing it somewhere you could easily see it. You got up and rested your chin on the violin’s chin rest. "Ready!" 

You won't lie, starting out was pretty rough since you've only played by yourself up until today, so adding Tim into the mix threw you off. Though, it didn't really seem to bother Brian at all.

You suddenly stopped playing and looked at your phone in frustration. You messed up again.

Tim stopped playing and tilted his head. "What's the problem?"

You scratch your head and let out a huff. "I think... I just need a break."

Tim nodded and placed his ukulele to the side. "Do you want anything to eat? Drink? I'm sure our  _ lovely host _ , Jack, would  _ love _ to get us some refreshments."

You all turned your attention to the man laying on the couch with earbuds in and definitely not listening.

Brian got up and sighed. "Don't bother him, I'll get us snacks."

He stretched out a bit and looked down at you both. "Any requests?"

"Uh, what do you have?" You asked.

"I'm not sure, but I do know we have a shit ton of juice." Brian looked directly at Tim who gave him a lazy smile.

"What can I say, the refreshing taste of Fruit Punch is... uuhhh... refreshing," Tim responded.

You chuckled at his response before looking back at Brian. "I'll have whatever juice you have in there and... I don't know... any candy you have."

Brian nodded and made his way into the kitchen.

You turned your head to look at Tim. "What's with all the juice?" You asked with an amused smile.

"You'd buy a couple gallons of fruit punch too if you hadn't had any in years."

You laughed. "Probably."

Your eyes wandered over to Jack as he tapped on his phone before pulling one of his earbuds out. "Finished already?"

"No, just taking a break," you tell him.

"Oh." Jack moved so he was sitting on the couch. "So…-"

  
  


"Hey! Where'd you put the candy!" Brian poked his head out of the kitchen.

"It should be in the cabinet by the stove!" Tim shouted back. 

Brian ducked back in the room.

...

"Which cabinet?"

Tim let out a heavy sigh before getting up and heading into the kitchen.

You watched Tim leave before turning your attention to Jack.

"What were you saying?" You asked him.

Jack shrugged. "I just wanted someone to start a conversation."

"Oh." You let out a hum, trying to think of something to say. "What... are you listening to?"

"Biology textbook."

"Oh, are you studying biology?" You had an excited look on your face. All he had to say was 'yes' and you'd talk about all the funny shit that happened during your high school biology class and maybe share some knowledge you learned during that time.

"No, I just think it's interesting."

You blinked. 

Tim stepped into the room and tossed a bag of candy into Jack's lap before handing you the other bag.

"He's being bashful. He's actually studying to be a nurse." You notice Jack jump at the sudden weight on his lap before balling up his fists.

"Oh really?" You looked over at Tim, who was sitting beside you again. He paid no mind to Jack.

"Yep! Tell us about nursing school, Jack," Tim teased.

Jack huffed and threw the candy onto the coffee table. "No." He put his earbuds back in and laid down on the couch.

Tim shrugged and leaned against the chair behind him. He took a sip of his fruit punch before placing it on the coffee table. 

"So." He turned towards you. "other than playing in a band, what else do you do in your free time?"

You let out a hum. "Well, I like to take walks out in the woods," you tell him excitedly.

"Oh really? We should hike together sometime," he suggested before glancing at Brian.

You smiled and started to eat the candy from the bag in your lap.

Brian handed you a cup of fruit punch before heading to his spot in front of the couch. He leaned against it, his head resting on Jack's leg. He then picked up his camera, looking at the videos. 

"I think I have enough for my video, but if you want we can record a few more times."

You blink. "Oh, well, I mean, if you think it's good..." you rub the back of your neck.

Brian looked over you for a second before nodding.

"Though," you start, "I'd like to know what kind of video you're making."

Brian closed the screen on the handheld camera.

"I make glitch art. It’s like… purposefully breaking pictures or videos to make art. I can send you the video when I'm done, if you’re interested." 

Your eyes widened in interest. “Glitch art? That sounds really cool!”

You noticed as Brian’s chest puffed up pridefully as he grinned. 

“You think so?” He turned to Tim, his grin shifting into a sly one. “You hear that? They think my art sounds cool.”

Tim huffed. “Well sorry I don’t understand what the hell is going on in your videos,” he said defensively. 

You and Brian laughed before Brian suddenly pulled out his phone and read the screen. 

“Tim. We gotta go.”

You watched Tim’s playful demeanor change into something you couldn’t quite read as the two of them got up to leave. 

"C'ya!" You waved at them.

Tim waved back at you with a forced smile while Brian lifted his hand up in acknowledgment. 

Once they left, you looked over at Jack and noticed the steady rise and fall of his chest. Asleep? Probably. You took this as a cue to start packing up your stuff and leave. Or maybe Tim and Brian would come back? Should you wait for them? 

You grabbed your phone and texted Tim.

**You**

Are you coming back?

**Tim😳**

To record some more?

Probably not.

You can stay and wait for us if you want.

Jack would be great company ;3

You stared down at the winking cat face before sending him 'ok'.

Letting out a sigh, you placed your violin in its case and zipped it up slowly, making sure you won't wake up Jack. 

You wanted to wait for Tim and Brian to come back and talk to them some more, but you didn't want to disturb Jack in any way. You'd just come back another time or hang out somewhere else with the two. Maybe go on the hike like Tim offered.

You picked up your violin case and turned around to-

**_Thump._ **

"Ow..." You stubbed your little toe against the coffee table. Your eyes watered as you glared at the toe. Dumb toe. Why couldn't humans evolve fast enough and get rid of the useless thing? Stupid ass toe, only use is getting stubbed. 

You were going to think of more insults when you heard a groan and the couch creak.

"[Y\N]?"

_ Shit. _

"Uh, yeah?"

Jack rubbed his eyes, facing your general direction. 

"You ok?"

"Yeah. Just stubbed my toe."

Jack sat up all the way. "That sucks."

He turned his head, noticing the room was quieter than usual. "Did they leave?"

Assuming 'they' meant Tim and Brian, you responded, "yeah, seemed like they had to do something important."

Jack hummed. "Well, thank god Tim's gone. He was getting on my nerves."

You let out a chuckle.

He then turned his attention back to you. "Are you leaving?"

You tilted your head at his question. "Yeah. I might come back later though.” You adjusted the violin in your hand. “If that’s ok with you, of course.”

He let out a hum before pulling out his phone and getting up to move towards you.

You listened to the robotic voice as he pulled up his phone number. He showed you his phone screen. "Here's my phone number so you can text or call me when you plan on coming over because  **_someone_ ** didn't fill me in."

You smiled before pulling out your phone and putting in the number in your contacts.

You sent him a 'hello'.

His phone read out your phone number and your text.

"That you?"

"Yep!"

"Ok."

He put your phone number in his contacts.

"Well." You adjusted the violin in your hand again. "I should get going."

Jack nodded. "Oh, yeah." He walked with you to the door.

He grabbed the doorknob and opened the door for you.

“Talk to you later,” he said.

“Yeah!” You smiled at him. “Talk to you later!”

You turned your head to see him lift his hand up in a small wave as he heard your footsteps grow faint. When you reached your apartment door you watched Jack close his door. You smiled again. Today was nice.


End file.
